First Mini Program for Country Launched By Baidu

Baidu and the embassy of Switzerland in China signed a joint letter of intent to launch the “Switzerland” mini program today.

Baidu Inc. (Nasdaq: BIDU), China's top search engine, announced today it reached a strategic agreement with the Embassy of Switzerland in China to launch a mini program "Switzerland."

Baidu Chairman and CEO Robin Li and President of the Swiss Confederation, Ueli Maurer, witnessed the signing ceremony that marked the beginning of a collaboration on Baidu Encyclopedia, Baidu Data Insight and other platforms.

The Switzerland mini program not only provides an introduction to the Swiss national information and tourist attractions, but also provides visa information and other travel related services.

In the future, this mini program will be launched with more functions and services, the company said. At the same time, in Baidu Encyclopedia and Baidu Data Insight, Baidu will deliver the information of Switzerland's economy, culture, tourism and education to users in the form of text, pictures, videos and infographics.

"Switzerland is an innovative country. The Switzerland mini program is the result of cooperation between Baidu and Switzerland, and a milestone for hundreds of millions of Chinese users to learn more about Switzerland." Li said, "In the future, I believe artificial intelligence will enable even more creative applications and allow users to enjoy premium experiences brought by technology."

Baidu said that the mini program satisfies the end market demand for a better user experience. In the future, Baidu will work with the government, institutions, organizations and other departments to serve users through Baidu's technology, products and services.

Based on QuestMobile's 2018 fall report, the growth rate of China's mobile Internet active users has dropped by more than 50 percent year-on-year. The total active users in September reached 1.12 billion, approaching saturation, the report said. Mini programs are now treated as a new potential market.